Top-prop.



B. SHOULTS.

TOP PROP.

APPLIOATIQN IILED MAR. 16, 1908.

917, 1 71. Patented Apr. 6. 1909.

1% m use:

EDWARD SHOULTS, OF GUERNSEY, WYOMING.

TOP-PROP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 6, 1909.

Application filed March 16, 1908. Serial No. 421,491.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD SHoULrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Guernsey, in the county of Laramie and State of WVyoming, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Top- Props, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buggy-top props, and. has for its object to provide a simple, cheap, and durable device of this kind, and also one which can be readily attached and adjusted to suit any ordinary buggy.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is an elevation showing the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4c is an elevation showing a modification of the method of attaching the device to the buggy.

Peferring specifically to the drawing, 5 denotes the top-rail of a buggy to the front end of which the rear bow 6 of the buggytop is pivoted in the ordinary manner. From the rear end of the top-rail projects laterally the usual top-prop 7 which however in the present instance does not directly support the top, the device to be hereinafter described being employed for this purpose.

The invention comprises a fiat springarm 8 attached at one end to the top-rail 5, and having at the other end a seat 9 which is adapted to support the bow 6. The fixed end of the spring-arm is increased in width as indicated at 10 and its attachment to the top-rail 5 is effected by clips 11 encircling that the seat 9 engages the bow 6 well toward its free end when the buggy-top is lowered, which serves to prevent bending or breaking of the bow under the weight of the top. The spring-arm also rests on the prop 7 which therefore also assists to sustain the weight of the top.

The bolts 12 and the nuts 13 serve the twofold purpose of fastening the clips 11 to the top-rail 5 and of fastening the springarm 8 to the clips. Upon unscrewing the nuts 13, the clips can be shifted back and forth on the top-rail to adjust the position of the spring-arm to suit the bow.

The device herein described is simple in construction and can be cheaply produced. It can be readily applied to any ordinary buggy and adjusted to suit the top, and it effectually serves the purpose for which it is intended.

If the invention is to be applied to a buggy having no top-rail, the attaching means shown in Fig. 4 may be employed. Such means comprise a plate 15 fastened to the buggy-seat 16 by screws or in any other suitable manner, and having a projecting stem 17 which takes the place of the top-rail (5, the clips 11 being mounted on the stem 17 and securing the spring-arm 8 as in the first instance.

I claim:

The combination with the rail of a buggy seat and a prop extending laterally therefrom, of a top-prop comprising a bow-supporting spring-arm the front end of which is widened laterally to extend under the rail, front and rear clips encircling the rail, the wide portion of the spring-arm fitting against the under side of the clips, fastening-bolts for said clips passing also through the spring-arm, and nuts screwed on the bolts for clamping the clips to the rail and fastening the spring-arm to the clips.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD SHOULTS.

Witnesses HARRY L. DAVIS, ZENAS KINoH. 

